


A Sudden Onset of Spirit

by fluffernutter8



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Episode: s01e16 Betty and Veronica, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 08:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2574527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffernutter8/pseuds/fluffernutter8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Neptune High had a tradition of spirit boxes for athletes, how did the deeply unspirited Veronica Mars end up with the assignment for Wallace Fennel?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sudden Onset of Spirit

Veronica heard the voices whispered between the stalls as soon as she walked into the bathroom. “If he lives in France, how do you, you know, do stuff?” The voice could belong to a few people, but Veronica was reasonably certain that it was Alexis Anderson speaking.

“I’ve got a video camera, and I found someone to set up a website for me. I’ve been putting stuff up there every few days and he comments with what he thinks about my...performance.” This voice was smug. Echoing unattractively across the bathroom tile it sounded like a smirk. That was definitely Haley Carson. Veronica let the door rest silently shut behind her.

“Aren’t you afraid that Drew is going to find out?”

“Drew isn’t looking for porn.” Veronica didn’t snort out loud, but it was a near miss. Even she knew guys better than that. Logan was so into Lilly he basically wanted to staple himself to her hip, but it was like a given that he watched porn. “But even if he finds it, you need a password to get in to see anything.”

There was a flush from Haley’s stall and then, like she had been waiting to get the signal that it was the right time, from Alexis’s. Veronica had seconds to decide if it would be less awkward to try to escape without being seen or to just keep walking toward a stall. The seconds went by too quickly.

Haley came out first, saw her first. “Veronica.” She didn’t sound scared or nervous, but there was something startled there. Veronica could practically see the 09er connection diagram drawing itself in Haley’s head, connecting Veronica Mars to Lilly Kane. “H-how long have you been standing there?”

Lilly would laugh about this if Veronica told her. They would lie beside each other on their bellies on Lilly’s bed with her cool new laptop in front of them, trying to figure out what Haley’s website was called, trying to one-up each other with potential names. Lilly would win, and whatever she said would make Veronica’s whole face wrinkle up and make her laugh until she snorted and Lilly teased her for it.

But they would have fun without it, too. Veronica had Lilly. She didn’t need to think about Haley Carson and her international internet sex scandal. Or at least she didn't now. She tucked the information away for later, just in case. She leveled a look at Haley and shrugged casually with one shoulder. “I just walked in.”

* * *

From where she is in the stall, Veronica can’t tell who has entered the bathroom until they start talking.

“Who’d you get for Spirit Squad?” Allison Robson.

“Wallace Fennel.” Haley Carson, sounding covetous enough to make Veronica grimace. “Our very own basketball claim to fame himself.”

“What are you going to give him?” Allison asks nervously. She is always second guessing herself. “Because I was going to bake a pie for Josh Tompkins but I don’t know what kind he likes, so maybe I’ll just-”

Haley interrupts. “I’ll think of something.” Just by the sound of her voice, Veronica knows that she already has. She can see it rolled out clearly in her mind: Haley cornering Wallace somewhere dark, saying something cheesy and pseudo-sexy about it being her job to make sure he was in the basketball spirit. Wallace pushing her away, embarrassed and angry and affronted.

He doesn’t need that.

Allison and Haley spot her in the mirror as she comes out of the stall, distaste flashing across their faces. Veronica washes her hands, eyes on them in the mirror. “You’re supposed to be doing Wallace Fennel’s spirit boxes?”

“Something like that,” and there’s a black coyness in her tone that makes Veronica want to ruin everything in her life. Haley had never been an instigator of anything against her, but when Veronica used to look around for a friendly face after her locker was graffitied again or she came out of the shower after gym smelling like soup from the bouillon cube someone had put in the shower head, Haley would be there, laughing, always. It just hasn't mattered until now.

Veronica shuts off the water, shakes her hands slightly over the sink.“You’re not anymore.”

“Why, because you can’t stand competition for all the guys in your life? Too much trouble to find a new-” Haley turns to look at Allison, who looks like she wants to be someone else’s lackey for the day. “What do they call a beard for a lesbian?”

“I'm the town bike, but I'm also a closeted lesbian? You’re contradicting yourself,” Veronica chides flatly. Her back is to them as she walks over to the paper towel dispenser. “I’ll make Wallace’s spirit boxes so you’ll have more brain power to work on that.”

Haley’s voice turns ugly, her mouth twisting. Her fresh gloss glints obscenely in the light. “Why should I give it to you? You’re not even on Spirit Squad.”

“You’re still dating Drew Heller. And I don’t think you want him finding out about haleyhottie.com, and the three different guys who’ve posted on there. French, Italian,  _and_ English. You do like a man with an accent.” Veronica throws away her paper towel. “Tip for the wise: I hope you’re smarter with your bank account PIN than ‘password69.’”

“Fine. You can make the fucking spirit boxes.” The sullen nastiness in her voice lets Veronica knows something else is coming. Haley waits a few dramatic seconds before letting it drop. “Lesbian whore.”

“Repetitive. And unimaginative.” Veronica opens the door. “Lucky for you, I think there’s still space in fourth period Remedial Bitch.” She lets it swing shut behind her.

The hallway is mostly empty, only a few scattered students still rushing between classes. Veronica joins them, already re-planning her evening in her head. She hasn’t baked her mom’s snickerdoodles in a while, but she still remembers the recipe, and Wallace deserves them. She can’t wait to see the smile on his face. It will bring a smile to hers.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the vmficrecs tumblr November prompts.


End file.
